Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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May 13, 2018 | #16 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: El Lago, Texas
Posts: 1,100
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Nematodes and sand
My house is 15.5 feet above sea level. The lot (and the lots of numerous other homes) were built up with SAND. Even with amending the soil in the flower and vegetable beds, the nematodes have the upper hand. Even so, this was my tomato haul today. It will all be over about the 2nd week in June. I have only eight plants, but I'll get a lot of fruit before the end.
Donna, Texas zone 9, Gulf Coast |
May 13, 2018 | #17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Corinth, texas
Posts: 1,784
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My wife I are leaving in the morning to spend a few days in the mountains of New Mexico. I checked my garden a few minutes ago to make sure all the watering valves are open and the timers are working. I hate to get home from a trip and find half my garden dead from lack of water. My tomato plants are loaded and I will have some ripe tomatoes when we get home as well as a lot of cucumbers, squash, zucchinies and other stuff. My garden should produce into mid July and start again in the fall when it cools a little.
Your tomatoes are beautiful. I hope mine look as good. |
May 13, 2018 | #18 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Quote:
Bill |
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May 24, 2018 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Corinth, texas
Posts: 1,784
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I'm still watching the single KBX plant which I am treating with vinegar (acetic acid), Epsom Salt (magnesium); and Miracle Grow (nutrients). It is doing very well having grown new leaves and small new stems.
I have a second plant in the same row of KBX plants which is exhibiting the same symptoms of root knot nemotodes as the first plant. It suddenly started wilting in the heat, leaves started turning yellow and entire branches died. Instead of pulling the plant and removing the infected roots, I decided to attempt to treat it in place by putting a sunscreen over it and soaking the roots with the same mixture that seems to have worked with the first plant. I also removed the dead branches and foliage. I don't really have any expectations of killing the nematodes long term, but simply making the environment around the plants uninviting and making the plants healthy enough to produce tomatoes. At some point, I want to add some sulfur either directly to the soil around the plants or add it to the mixture I am already using. My intent is to cause the nematodes to seek greener pastures by applying a noxious product to the soil a month or two after planting the seedlings. If it happens to kill them in the process without harming the plants, I will consider that a bonus. |
May 24, 2018 | #20 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Quote:
Bill |
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May 24, 2018 | #21 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Corinth, texas
Posts: 1,784
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Bill, You may be correct. I know I could see the damage from nematodes in the first plant because I pulled it and cut the infected roots off the main stem. I have not pulled the second plant and I won't pull it if it reacts favorably to the root soaking mixture. If both plants prosper from exposure to the mixture, I will guess it isn't fusarium wilt because I am not aware of any treatment for wilt.
My hope for the mixture to work is the strong cleansing effect of the vinegar and it's acidic nature. The Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate (magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen). It has the ability to extract water through cell walls as it does when humans use it as a laxative or muscle relaxant. Since nematodes tend to function at soil depths where moisture levels are optimum, the salts may function to make the nematodes lose moisture in their bodies possibly killing them or making them leave the premises. The Miracle Grow is only added as nutrients to strengthen the plant. The truth is, I'm only playing. Whether the tomato plants die or thrive won't effect the output of my garden very much. It would be nice to find something I can use in the garden to repel nematodes and make my garden more healthy. Last edited by DonDuck; May 24, 2018 at 10:01 PM. |
May 25, 2018 | #22 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Corinth, texas
Posts: 1,784
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Bill,
I think your advice to graft common tomato varieties to disease and pest resistant root stocks is the very best answer for many garden problems. I investigated it many years ago, but since I germinate my seedlings under lights, I would need to double the space of my light table to produce the same number of plantable seedlings. When I investigated the cost of the seeds for the tomato plants with resistant roots for use as root stock, they seemed ridiculously expensive. I decided to simply fight on by trying to use available methods and plant many varieties like Big Beef with proven resistance. Last edited by DonDuck; May 25, 2018 at 12:43 AM. |
May 25, 2018 | #23 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Quote:
Big Beef was my insurance tomato for many years until my soil ended up with all three races of fusarium wilt. Once that happened Big Beef was not a whole lot better than some heirlooms. I was pretty much forced to try grafting and my only regret is that I didn’t start grafting much sooner. Bill |
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June 1, 2018 | #24 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b
Posts: 1,685
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Quote:
So far we've been blessed this season with lots of rain and thus cooler than normal temps and the neemies haven't gotten into the swing of it yet. But it's fixin' to get hot and dry and so we'll see. I've read about and tried umpty different methods to deal with them so if yours even helps a bit, that will be great! Vinegar is cheap. Good luck with your project! |
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June 2, 2018 | #25 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Quote:
Bill |
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June 2, 2018 | #26 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Corinth, texas
Posts: 1,784
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While it is easy to recognize plants with problems, it is more difficult to recognize and document the recovery of the same plants. Even if they recover, it will be difficult to say they recovered due to any action I took. I take it as a good sign that the plants I have treated seem to be doing well, but I won't really know much until the end of the growing season when they can be examined from stem to stern. Even if they survive and grow, I'm not sure what has been proven that makes my effort worthwhile. The treated plants have been stunted in their growth and have little hope of catching up to the other plants in production. Hot, summer weather has arrived and very little tomato blossom pollination will occur before the weather cools in the fall. I'm thinking of what I am doing as a potential solution for pretreating planting holes in the spring instead of trying to save plants after they are planted. Even if my method works, is it any better than spending the money and buying some Actinovate which is both a fungicide, which may control some soil born fungus problems; and prevent the root knot nemotodes.
I'm not sure the cost savings with my method are real. I've used about four gallons of vinegar plus some Miracle Grow, plus some Epsom salt. Premium brand vinegar costs more than $4.00 per gallon. Store brand vinegar costs a little over $2.00 per gallon. I have no idea how much of each will be required by seasons end. |
June 3, 2018 | #27 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b
Posts: 1,685
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June 3, 2018 | #28 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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June 3, 2018 | #29 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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I also see not reason to spend good money on organic vinegar to do this. I read in another place where someone asked about using sulfuric acid. |
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June 4, 2018 | #30 | |
BANNED FOR LIFE
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 13,333
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Quote:
__________________________________________________ _______________________ I will be waking up the thread I started about RKN and the Fusarium one very soon. I am waiting on results, and they are showing their signs. Marsha has told you about container gardening, and Bill has told you about grafting. Both will work. |
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